To Forgive Sorrow
by iAir Nomad
Summary: Tenderness heals all wounds. Yami/Yuugi; My take on how they reunited after the Orichalcos. Very light puzzleshipping.


**Hey everyone! It's been a long time since I've written anything, hasn't it? I'm so sorry! It's just that life has been so crazy, and I'm kind of trying to pull myself together and figure some things out since I'm graduating high school next year. Just crazy.**

**But anyway, I was watching some puzzleshipping amvs and got inspired. I know this is a popular theme for most puzzleshipping fanfictions, but I think Yuugi's soul getting lost to the Orichalcos was one of the most emotionally impacting things that Yami has ever had to go through – and vice-verse. I hope that this oneshot will be unique in its own way from other reunion stories out there, though. Enjoy! (This takes place the night after they reunited, btw)**

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"Mou Hitori no Boku?" A young voice called, echoing warmly off the maze of the Pharaoh's soul room. The simple phrase was full of all the softness and caring in the world, despite everything that had transpired the last few days. He was already suspecting the Pharaoh's feelings of shame on himself for ever letting the Orichalcos take the boy's soul away from everything, everyone, Yami. So he had an understanding and expectation of what was to come and filtered as much forgiveness as he could wherever he walked until he found his darker half.

"Mou Hitori no Boku…?" Yuugi tried again, searching intently with his amethysts, sighing at how the maze of stairs and doors was endless. Where could he be?

Suddenly, it felt like he got punched in the gut with the strongest emotions of guilt imaginable. It was horribly painful, it almost brought tears at the rims of his eyes; it was Yami… Yami knew that Yuugi was in the puzzle, and they both knew the other was near.

"Mou Hitori no Boku… Mou Hitori no Boku, please, tell me where you are!" Yuugi called out frantically, gripping a handful of his black tank top at how Yami's pain was stinging _excruciatingly_. He listened as his plea echoed yet again off the brick puzzle walls. There was a feeling of hesitation; a long, drawn-out silence of thoughtfulness. Then, finally, Yuugi felt a tug at his soul and he allowed himself to be guided to where the Pharaoh resided. Soon after turning random corners and stairs, he found himself standing in front of a door colored a darker brown than all the others. He felt Yami's presence exuding so strongly beyond this door, though the pain of shame he felt was increased tenfold. He sucked in a deep breath with furrowed brows, and lifted his hand to close around the door handle. He needed to find his closest friend and prove to him that everything was all right now, that there was no longer anything to grieve about.

"Mou Hitori no Boku…" Yuugi murmured softly as he twisted the knob and proceeded to open the door, but he frowned even more when it didn't work, as if there was an invisible force trying to keep him shut out. Yuugi took the knob with both hands and pressed against the cold, metallic door with the entire side of his body. He lifted the knob and shoved it and his body forward, and finally it jerked open unpleasantly. It was like trying to open a door that had never been opened for years – dust even collected and floated in the air for a few lingering seconds before Yuugi opened it fully to shed the light of the puzzle outside to this frigid, dark room. Right where the light hit on the endless brick floor, was where Yami lay in a most uncharacteristically defeated manner, his back turned to his Aibou.

"Yami…" Yuugi whispered the other's temporary name, finding that his feet were frozen beneath him at the doorway, far too shocked by the display before him. Yami looked close to curling up in a fetal position, his legs ever so slightly tucked in, but his arms were sprawled out in front of him, like a poor sleeping position that would hurt in the morning. Though, Yami was definitely not asleep right now, nor unconscious. He was simply waiting; anticipating something. Something that made Yuugi's stomach churn at the very thought: Yami wanted Yuugi to march over and strike him repeatedly, it seemed; scream and be angry at him, to be unmerciful with him for what he'd done. Yuugi felt his heart shatter at these thoughts. Yami _wanted_ that. How could he…

As Yuugi took a tentative step forward into the cold room, he took notice at how there were many bricks on the floor and walls that were broken out into pieces and scattering around Yami's lying form, making the room look severely uneven… and reflecting perfectly Yami's state of mind in this moment. The boy creased his brows again with a sort of determination: well, he'd just have to fix that.

Crossing the room more confidently now, Yuugi slowed to a stop when his feet were right at Yami's back, and he slowly crouched down. "Mou Hitori no Boku…" he whispered tenderly, looking upon the other with such sadness when he turned his face to the floor as Yuugi drew near, to hide his emotions. "Please, Yami, look at me, talk to me… anything…" he took his hand up to hover over Yami's shoulder for a moment, biting his lip with uncertainty of how Yami would react to comfort instead of the torture he so seemed to want. Yuugi sighed softly and let his hand drop to rest on that shoulder. The small touch seemed to trigger something, for Yami flinched a little; it was such a slight movement, though, that it wouldn't have gone noticed had Yuugi not been staring him down so hard for a reaction. Yuugi pursed his lips, waiting. His hand didn't move. And suddenly, Yami spoke:

"Please don't…"

Yuugi was visibly hurt at how absolutely weak and choked Yami's voice came out in that moment. This was a soul so absolutely devastated and forever wounded by his shame at himself. Yami could no longer stand tall or be proud as the Pharaoh that he was. Those two words alone indicated that there was nothing even Yuugi could do to help, and it ached the smaller teen to realize this.

But still, he would try. Because he loved Yami, he would never stop trying. The love he felt for the other couldn't be described as was usually perceived. It was by all means stronger than the love of two best friends. It surpassed brotherhood. And it even surpassed a romantic love. This was an indescribable love that could be defined as nothing else other than: Yami was the most important person in Yuugi's life, his soul mate, quite literally. His life. His _everything_. And as long as his _everything_ was mentally torturing himself like this, Yuugi would only continue to hurt. But Yami didn't seem to realize this—just how much he was also torturing his precious partner… possibly more so than even himself.

Yuugi sighed gently yet again and laid a hand on the floor, slowly lowering himself down to mirror Yami's position, minus the hopelessness his other felt. He didn't care that it was marble-stone cold, or that Yami was doing nothing about it. The hand on Yami's shoulder slid down his arm and he delicately wrapped his entire arm around the Pharaoh's torso from behind. He felt Yami stiffen for a moment, but Yuugi refused to pull back or let Yami do so. The younger teen let his eyes drift shut, and he pressed his nose and his lips against the cloth covering the back of Yami's neck, brushing warm breath over the icy skin, implying how unmerciful the air and his own environment had been to him in his soul room the last few days. He scooted more forward to press his entire front against the Pharaoh's backside, tightening his grip around him lovingly.

Nothing happened for a several long seconds, but Yuugi didn't let this faze him. He would remain like this with Yami until the other saw that things were going to be okay from now on, and what happened was in the past; That his Aibou was here now, and to stay. Forever.

Suddenly surprising Yuugi, the spirit lifted a pale, shaky hand to rest on top of Yuugi's hand around his torso and held it there. The boy's breath hitched at this, but then evened out again. The sting of guilt Yuugi felt from his other half was subsiding ever so slowly. Although he still refused to turn around to face his partner, Yuugi was happy to be patient, knowing that he was in the process of healing. That was all that mattered to him.

"Mou Hitori no Boku… I forgive you," Yuugi whispered comfortingly in Yami's ear, then rested his chin back down. He pressed a tender kiss to Yami's shoulder afterwards to add to the sincerity of his words.

A long, long pause. Then:

"… Thank you, Aibou." And the Pharaoh turned around in the embrace with a tired smile.


End file.
